Friday, September 13, 2013

Vegan Before Six? Me? Surely You Jest!

I tweeted a joke a few weeks ago about anyone knowing a way to help loose weight that didn't involve exercise, extreme diets, or copious amounts of cocaine.

My friend Nick suggested this diet he was on called VB6, or Vegan Before Six; created by Mark Bittman. Pretty straight forward and simple. You eat Vegan before 6pm. After 6, you're allowed to be carnivorous if you like. But best if you eat unprocessed stuff, like fruit and vegetables from the farmers market. Which we do, a lot.

Didn't seem like such a daunting task, as what would I have to cut out or add in to my daily routine?

Breakfast Before: Normally don't eat anything. Drink 2-3 cups of coffee.
What I had to change: Actually eat breakfast.
Breakfast Now: Publix deli peanut butter (which is just smashed nuts, nothing else) over toasted whole grain bread, with some home made apple jam. Or oats with almond milk, and a spoonful of my apple jam, that I've taken to call Come Bite the Apple Jam. In honor of Mother Love Bone.

Lunch Before: Most times a sandwich and chips at home. Sometimes the same out somewhere.
What I had to change: Loose the meat. And the chips. Deep fried and all.
Lunch Now: Most times, a sandwich wrap that has avocado, tomato, humus, black beans, and whatever else. Maybe some pita chips for dipping in more humus. Sometimes a big salad.

Dinner Before: Some type of meat and two to three
What I had to change: Not much, just thinking healthier.
Dinner Now: Mostly vegetables. Like a lot of them. Sometimes, no meat at all. Throwing a bunch of cut up pieces of zucchini, squash, onion and egg plant into a frying pan. Mixing with whole wheat pasta.

And its working. I'm having more energy throughout the day. No more fighting sleep at my desk at 2pm.
My scalp seems to itch less now too. I've dropped a few pounds since starting as well. Though, two or so seem to come back and go away.
The big thing I noticed yesterday, is that my back wasn't killing me when I had to help out with a project in the press room. Actually, no back pain at all, and not a whole lot of pressure on my spine.
(I messed it up some years back, helping my dad move a pool table down stairs on Christmas Eve).

I'm getting to eat food that I don't normally eat, and eat food that I normally do in a whole new way.
Any diet that allows me to still eat my dad's chicken wings on game day is a winning diet to me.